


Runner Available

by Rivermoon1970



Series: Human Darkness Chronicles [8]
Category: Criminal Minds, LOVECRAFT H. P. - Works, Tanis (Podcast)
Genre: Dom/sub Undertones, Explicit Sex, Lovecraftian, M/M, Slash, Soul Bond, Waking Dreams, dark themes, shadow stalking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-11 00:33:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10451025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivermoon1970/pseuds/Rivermoon1970
Summary: Spencer has been stalked by shadows for most of his life. His dreams have always been dark and twisted, and he has always known that Aaron Hotchner was going to somehow play a major important role in his life. When a case of a female serial killer who was killing in Spencer's name came up everything in Spencer's life would come to a head and culminate in a dark, strange destiny.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vasaris](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vasaris/gifts).



> Unbeta'd. All mistakes are my own.  
> You can find the Tanis podcast here: http://www.tanispodcast.com/  
> you do not need to have listened to it to understand the story.
> 
> WARNING: This story is dark, with dark themes.

“I did it for you, Dr. Reid. I did it so you could awaken.” Spencer furrowed his brow as he sat across from the woman, Tamara Jade, as she was going by, trying to interview her. She refused to talk to anyone else, and Hotch finally relented and let him in the room. It wasn’t that Hotch didn’t trust him to interview the woman, but that they were trying to take the focus off of Spencer. The plan didn’t work, Tamara was smarter than they had originally thought. The crimes appeared to be haphazard and chaotic, but after going through the evidence, there was a...pattern. Spencer did not know how he knew, but deep down inside of him he just did. He wanted to get the interview over with so that he could get back to the files to try to figure out what his instincts were trying to tell him.

“And how do you know my name, Tamara?”

The unearthly smile on her face unnerved Spencer, but he wouldn’t show that he was upset in any way.

“ _ He _ told me. In my dreams. He said that you would awaken, but that I needed to help you.” Spencer’s frown deepened as he tried to remember when or if he had come into contact with this woman at any time, but for the life of him, he had not one single recollection of any encounters with her.

“Who is  _ He _ , Tamara?”

“The one who is and was and always will be. You know who he is, you’ve seen him already in your dreams. You want to follow him because you find it, you want to find the breach. There are dangerous things, Spencer.”

Something about those words struck right at the core of him. Not just in the way she said them, but the words themselves. He heard them somewhere before but his vast superior memory was failing him at every turn. His pulse started to pound just a little as he stared at Tamara.

“Tamara, I need you to focus, can you do that for me? I need to know who else you killed and I need to know where their organs are.”

Tamara smiled that same bizarre smile that sent shivers down Spencer’s back. A memory was itching along in his mind, strange shadows, dreams, and voices he dared not speak of to anyone. The one time he had told someone about the dreams, they had gone behind his back and told Hotch and Gideon. He had no desire to repeat that experience. Though both Hotch and Gideon handled it with care and grace, they did not need to know how much darker and stranger the dreams had become. Sometimes, Spencer woke drenched in sweat opening his eyes to look around whatever room he was in to see shapes and shadows that were even darker than the night, darker than what was even describable. He would watch those shadows with fear and trepidation, but they never did anything to him. They just...watched. 

Spencer was a man of science who believed in those things on the fringe of what was knowable and explainable. He couldn’t say with certainty that he did not believe in ghosts, or the paranormal, he knew there were things out there in the dark, in the shadows that defied all explanation. Spencer felt like something had always been following him, watching, waiting, but for what he never knew.

Spencer’s focus was abruptly brought back to Tamara and the interview room that he was currently in. Seattle, Washington and the case that had taken some very strange turns. 

“Of course, Spencer. I’m happy to help you.” Tamara took the blank pad that Spencer had brought into the room with him, then took up the pen and started to write. He stayed in the room while she wrote out her confession, almost happy to do so. When she was done she slid the pad back over to Spencer and kept that same unnerving smile on her face. He knew she was a sociopath, but he felt like some _ thing _ had driven her to her current state of mind. Spencer took the pad and read through the confession and felt that chill once again run down his spine. Taking a deep breath Spencer rose and started to walk towards the door.

“Spencer,” the woman called out to him just as he reached out for the door handle.

“Yes?” He asked while he was looking at the door. Spencer was almost afraid to turn around to look at her.

“There are wondrous things.” Spencer fled the room letting the door slam behind him. Those words again stirred up something deep within him. He shoved the confession at Hotch, grabbed his bag and left the station without saying a word. He knew the rest of the team would give him space, especially after that chilling interview.

The room was empty by the time he had made it back to the hotel. Spencer had gone to the park after picking up something to eat. He almost couldn’t stomach anything after the interview and what it was Tamara had confessed to. He curled up on the bench and pulled out a book to read to clear his mind. Pulling out the turkey sandwich, Spencer slowly ate hoping that it stayed down. After a couple of hours, he was more settled in his mind. He picked up his things and made his way to the hotel.

When he arrived he noticed that Hotch had been there. His suit was carefully draped over one of the chairs. He assumed the man had gone for a run either in the hotel gym or out on the streets. Since Hotch had lived and worked in Seattle for a few years, Spencer thought that maybe he was out there instead of inside. They were sharing a room on this case and Spencer was having a hard time keeping his nightmares away from his boss. Putting his things down, Spencer grabbed his robe and went to take a long hot shower. 

Closing his eyes he let the water run down his back, further chasing the underlying creepiness of the case away from him. As he relaxed under the pounding pulse of the water, Spencer felt the darkness creeping in, even though the lights in the bathroom were on. The light did not always chase away the shadows. This was one of those times that he wished he had never heard of The Breach or found the old copies of Strange Worlds and the short story by Jack Parsons. It had called to him at the time. A genius seven-year-old boy, lonely, and searching for something, anything to help get him through life with a schizophrenic Mother and a distant Father. Though his Father wouldn’t actually leave for three more years, it wasn’t like he had the typical type of affection he had seen with other Fathers and Sons.

The story peaked in curiosity, so he delved into the mystery, that was when the darkness showed up. The things in the corner that watched him, waiting, whispering at night to him in his dreams. For a long time, Spencer thought he was following in his mother’s footsteps. Test after test while he was growing up all denied the fact that he had any of the same issues as his Mother.

The darkness both scared him and comforted him, and that scared him even more. When the water started to run cold, Spencer turned it off and got out. He quickly dried off and wrapped the robe around himself, toweled off his hair so that it wouldn’t drip down his face, he stepped back into the bedroom.

Opening the curtains to see the view from the room, Spencer sucked in a breath. The beauty of Seattle was never lost on him, and it was even more beautiful at night. The corner of the room pulsed with that familiar presence that was always with him. He turned his head just slightly, staring at it, transfixed by the turning, roiling nature of the  _ thing.  _ It didn’t always follow him on cases, didn’t always watch, it made him wonder why this case was so special.

Laying a hand on the cool glass, Spencer tried to calm his overheated body as the thing and he continued their staring contest. Spencer wasn’t even sure the thing had any eyes or not, all he ever saw was the dark that was darker than night, watch and wait.

Laying his head on the glass, Spencer closed his eyes and tried to get Tamara’s words out of his head. Though he knew the full litany, it was something he had found here and there during his search for answers as to why him and why the waiting. 

“ _ She did it for you, for us Spencer. You know what you are, but you’re afraid of yourself, afraid of us. Let go, Spencer, let go, and let us in, let us show you what you are.” _

Spencer shook his head to get the voices to stop. But all that happened was his thoughts ran deeper, darker, till he could see himself walking along the dark, loamy earth. He could smell the rotting of wood and leaves from the constant rain, and something else, something even earthier. A sickening, sweet smell of unnatural decay that was underneath the natural. He almost gagged on the cloying smell but moved forward. Spencer knew this was some kind of waking dream. He had, had them before, but never, ever talked about them. He also knew he had to let it play out. The one time he tried to come out of it before it was over, his nightmares were worse than normal when he had tried to go to be.

Walking on with the path unclear and slow, he waited for a sign of what to do next. That was when he would see  _ him _ . Naked, standing in the earthy, dense forest, rain trickling over his body, the man shivered, but reached out for Spencer. As he got closer the man’s features solidified, as did the body. Aaron. It was  _ always  _ Aaron, even before Spencer knew who the man was, he had seen him in his dreams this same way. He would reach the man, and this was where it would change as the years went by. When he was younger, the man would just wrap his arms around him, holding him, soothing him, then they would meld together, become one and disappear into the darkness together.

As he got older, there was a sexual component to the encounter, tonight was no different. Spencer’s heart sped up as his cock hardened, but he didn’t leave the room to go back to the bathroom to take care of his erection. No, tonight was different. Tonight, the things were moving, more agitated than before and Spencer got a distinct impression that something important was supposed to happen.

Reaching down he grabbed his throbbing cock that was dripping with precome and started to stroke. The waking dream turned more erotic than it had in the past and Spencer felt a part of himself open up, but to what he wasn’t altogether sure. When he was above Aaron, riding him while Aaron lay in the loamy earth, rain dripping over them, the darkness surrounding them closing in faster and faster as Spencer’s movements sped up to an agonizing pace while hands gripped his waist leaving deep bruises, the shadows moved closer, enveloping them in the darkness that always made Spencer afraid. Aaron’s body stiffened under him and he screamed out an unearthly scream as Spencer raised his arms above him. The shadows cried out in joy as both men were taken over, the darkness invading their bodies, Spencer felt his lover’s cock swell inside him.

Inside the room, Spencer’s hand flew over his cock as the waking dream continued on without his consent. He wanted out, but he was trapped till he saw it all the way through. His body needed the release, but it wasn’t cooperating, he could no longer tell reality from the dream as he silently begged to be let go. Finally, he felt the pull in his thighs, then it spread to his hips pooling, throbbing, aching in his balls, Spencer wasn’t too sure, but he thought he heard himself begging out loud. A shadow gently touched him, or maybe it didn’t, maybe all of this was in his mind and he was truly going insane. But whatever happened it was the catalyst for him to finally find that release, both physically and mentally.

The dream was fading, but he felt worn and mentally exhausted. He was still against the window, breathing hard when he heard the lock on the room being disengaged. Spencer was on the verge of crying or collapsing or both. He wasn’t sure which. He felt high, he felt like he had after a night of Dilaudid. That almost made him laugh, because that time in his life, the dark, strange dreams had been worse, and he reveled in them, chased after them and tried to get lost in them. 

“Reid?” Aaron, the real Aaron called out to Spencer with a question in his voice, but he had no strength to answer back. Still leaning against the cool glass the sounds and smells of the waking dream were slowly going away and he felt hollowed out inside.

“Reid, is something wrong?” Aaron asked him again, this time in his concerned Unit Chief voice. Spencer tried to say something, but nothing would come out. He heard footsteps coming closer to him and he tried to get his body to work, to move but it just wouldn’t. He still had his softened cock in his hand, his release cooling, getting sticky against his skin as he tried to get himself to move. 

“Reid...Spencer if something is wrong, you know you can talk to me.” Aaron’s voice flowed over him, the deep timbre soothing, calming. Spencer tried to get his voice to work, but he was still suspended in the faded dream. Then, a warm strong hand settled on his shoulder and it seemed to break the spell. Spencer folded in on himself and collapsed down on the floor, landing on his ass.

Looking up he saw those chocolate brown eyes looking down at him with concern. 

“Aaron,” he finally could speak. “I’m, I’m okay.” Spencer was aware that he was slurring his words, he still felt like he was high.

“Reid, are you high?” Aaron sat down on his heels, the reached a handout, lifting one eyelid, then the other. The man knew what he looked like on Dilaudid, he knew he didn’t look like that. 

“No, no nothing so...mundane.” Spencer didn’t know why he said it quite like that. He never spoke of these dark, strange things that he lived with on an almost daily basis. Anyone else might have gone insane by now, but Spencer knew exactly what insanity looked like and he did everything he could to fight it. 

Aaron let out a breath as he moved behind Spencer and helped him like he had all those years ago on one of his worst days. Aaron pulled him in close and Spencer’s head was on Aaron’s shoulder. The scent of sweat and rain mixed together with coffee, remnants of aftershave and underneath it all, Aaron’s own natural scent. Still feeling drugged, Spencer was bold as he nuzzled against Aaron’s neck, he licked a stripe tasting him and it was like it was the ambrosia of the gods. Spencer wanted more.

“Spencer, what are you doing?”

“I wanted to know what you taste like. Please don’t fire me.” Spencer was helped onto his bed. Aaron said nothing as he sat there trying to keep himself upright. Swinging his eyes to the corner, the shadows were moving, stretching, blotting out the light. Spencer knew, he wasn’t sure how he knew, but he knew something was going to happen. 

Aaron came back with two wet hand towels and a dry one.

“Clean up, then I think it’s time for sleep.” Aaron’s eyes flicked to the corner and Spencer saw the deep frown forming on his face.

“You can see them, can’t you?” Spencer knew he was right by the look on Aaron’s face. 

“Yes. Yes, Spencer, I’ve always been able to.”

“Why have you never asked me about it?” Spencer watched as Aaron sat on the bed with him close enough that he could still get a whiff of the man’s scent. It was driving him crazy, he wanted to taste more, to touch, to strip him naked and do the things he saw in his waking dream.

“It didn’t ever seem real. I always thought I was seeing things.”

“And now?” Spencer asked as leaned toward Aaron, he took a deep breath letting that scent fill his nostrils. 

“Now,” Aaron swallowed hard and Spencer watched the movement of his Adam's apple, transfixed, he wanted to mouth it, run his tongue over it, let the taste of Aaron fill him. He watched as the pulsed in Aaron’s neck jumped and heard as his breath shallowed. Spencer knew if he pulled back at that moment, he would lose Aaron forever. Something deep inside him, that primal knowing that stirred to life earlier, was once again stirring inside him. He knew this man wanted him too. “Now I believe they’re real.” The sound of the man’s voice felt almost broken to Spencer like Aaron had lost something profound in accepting his belief in the shadows that haunted Spencer.

“Fuck me, Aaron.” Spencer wasn’t sure where he had gotten the courage to say what he did, but his body was thrumming with a fire that felt like it was going to consume him if Aaron didn’t take him on this night.

Aaron swallowed again and it was all Spencer could do to keep from lunging at him.

“I...I need to shower.”

“No. Now, as you are.” Spencer leaned in the last few inches and took Aaron’s mouth in a deep searing kiss that promised so much more. The shadows stirred and Spencer felt their excitement. It resonated deep within and stirred up those urges he had kept such careful control of over the years. A hand fisted in his hair as a moan escaped. The kiss deepened and an arm banded around Spencer’s waist. He felt the years of frustration and want coming off Aaron in waves and knew there was no turning back now.

Spencer lost all sense of time, all he knew was Aaron and the shadows behind him. He had no recollection of getting undressed all he knew was when he was sliding down on Aaron’s cock he felt fuller, more open than he had ever had. He bent down and licked the drying sweat off of Aaron’s chest and neck, kissing him with a dark passion that gripped the both of them. Hands wrapped around his waist, guiding him but letting him set the pace. Spencer sat up and sank further down letting Aaron fill him completely. The shadows moved then and wrapped around the both of them, Spencer felt them wrapping around him, filling him, urging him to go faster. Cool darkness wrapped around his dick as he fucked himself on Aaron’s hard cock. 

They both weren’t silent, they made grunting, growling sounds as their coupling became more frantic. Spencer felt more than just Aaron moving inside him, he felt the shadows egging him on pushing at him to open himself even more. As he sank more into the primal needs of his body, as hands pressed, and kneaded against his flesh, Spencer smelled the decay and the wet loamy earth. He felt the rain dripping over his body, chilling his overheated skin. He looked down to see Aaron laying on a bed of leaves his eyes pure black with lust as gripped and pounded inside Spencer harder and harder, chasing after his release.

The shadows now fully engulfed their bodies, inside and out, greedy dark things edging the both of them, delaying their release. Aaron surged up and flipped Spencer onto his back. He felt the earth under him, the leaves surrounding him as his legs were bent and Aaron was pounding into him harder, faster. Their kisses were bruising as the passion burned darkly between them. The band of darkness around Spencer’s cock tightened making him scream as Aaron kept taking his pleasure in his body.

Spencer had closed his eyes and let the passion and the pleasure overtake him, he let the shadows guide him as he wrapped his legs around Aaron’s waist, pulling him even further into his body. He knew he was begging, pleading for his release. The hard ground under him was of no consequence, the only things that mattered were him, Aaron and the shadows.

Opening his eyes once again, he looked into the face of his lover and saw the primal beast of a man come out. Then, Aaron stilled and Spencer heard him cry out as he felt the cock inside him swell and pulse with his release. Spencer was about to beg when a hand wrapped around his cock and almost painfully jacked him off. Aaron’s hand flew over Spencer’s cock, the tight shadow band loosened, and finally, Spencer felt his orgasm building fast and before he was prepared for it Spencer was coming hard, striping his stomach with his cum.

He was trying to come back down when he felt a tongue licking at his stomach, and saw that Aaron was cleaning him. He shivered and took dark delight watching his boss doing something so very submissive. His awareness slammed back into him as the hotel room came back into focus. When he looked up in Aaron’s eyes he knew that they were irrevocably changed by their experience. Aaron was now a part of him like he was a part of Aaron. He could almost feel the man’s emotions inside him.

“Aaron,” Spencer sighed as he reached up and pulled the man down to him and kissed him once more, this time more gently than before. When they broke apart, Spencer had a clarity about him that he had never had before. He knew what he was, knew what he had to do, and he had to bring Aaron along with him. 

“You know, you can see, can’t you?” Aaron asked, and Spencer felt that he was overwhelmed by what had happened, but trying to quickly process at the same time.

“Yes. I can see the path, see what we have to do.” 

They separated, and it was almost painful to do, but they showered quickly, more to get clean than anything else. They dried their bodies, then dressed in comfortable clothes. They agreed to take one bag with them that had two changes of clothes each, some power bars that Aaron had brought to have after his runs. They stopped in the lobby at the all-night convenience store and bought overpriced bottles of water. They knew time was a factor. They left the hotel, got into an SUV and drove out to the woods.

__________________________________________

Time had lost all meaning to Spencer as he found the strange winding path. There were days they had to stop and wait for a sign. Then days where they couldn’t stop. The shadow that lived inside Spencer helped him to find where he needed to go, always forward, neither man looked back once. Spencer knew that eventually, they would find their way out.

When the path led to a cave, Spencer stood looking at the entrance transfixed for a moment.

“There are magical things,” he whispered to himself as Aaron moved up next to him. As one they entered the cave.

Stumbling out of an exit, Aaron and Spencer came upon a large group of people. Rangers, police, emergency vehicles, and their own team.

“Where in the hell have you two been?” Morgan almost yelled, but Spencer knew it was from worry and fear. He felt Aaron’s rise of emotions but just wrapped a hand around his wrist to help calm him.

“I don’t think you would believe us if we told you. To be honest, I can’t remember much of the past few days other than finding the body parts that Tamara Jade had hidden.” Spencer looked to his left as paramedics were coming out of the cave that Aaron and Spencer had just come out of with several small coolers in their hands and looking rather pale. 

“Reid, Hotch, the two of you have been gone for ten days. We been lookin’ for you two.” Morgan crossed his arms over his chest, anger poured off him in waves.

“All we can say is that we are sorry. Statements will be given for as much as we can remember.”

JJ moved up and wrapped her arms around Spencer.

“I’m just glad we found you. Are you okay?”

“Yes JJ, we both are fine.”

“So, you two want to explain the state of your hotel room?” Rossi raised brows and Spencer felt like he was being scrutinized.

Smiling and rocking back on his feet, Spencer no longer felt intimidated by any of them. He felt strong, he felt free and for the first time since joining the BAU, he felt like he was completely on solid ground. He looked to Aaron who just gave him a small shoulder shrug.

“Do you want the clean version, or the down and dirty version?” 

“So, what we think happened is what happened.”

“Rossi, if you want to ask if we had sex, then just ask it.” Spencer twisted his mouth in a knowing smile that he had put a blush on one David Rossi’s face.

“Okay, Kid, if you want a blunt question, then yes. Did the two of you have sex?”

“Yes, we did, and we will again, and again. Now if you’ll excuse us, we are both exhausted and we still have interviews to give.” Spencer had not let go of Aaron’s wrist and pulled him along to go speak with the LEO’s. They were taken into the station house, separated and questioned. When Aaron became too agitated from being parted from Spencer, the lead detective caved and did the interviews jointly. It was the first time the two of them understood that they really were connected.

After interviews and a short investigation, Tamara Jade was convicted of several counts of ritualistic murders. Aaron and Spencer were released, and the BAU went back home. Spencer moved in with Aaron, which excited Jack to no end.

The shadows were still with Spencer and Aaron, but they lived inside them now, connecting them together. At work, Spencer was all too happy to let Aaron have the lead, but at home, they both knew Spencer was the dominant. And when Aaron was on his knees sucking Spencer’s cock, a hand fisted in his hair, the dark surrounding them, Spencer’s whole life finally made sense. It was all leading here, to the two of them together. Love grew over time and their connection strengthened. Spencer embraced his power, embraced who he was meant to be and never, ever looked back. 

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
